In the 1950s, Licklider—who had studied math and physics and had a doctorate in psychology—began studying information technology. He was appointed head of information processing at ARPA, the US Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, in the early 60s. There, he laid the groundwork for computer networking and ARPANET, the precursor of the Internet. He is considered one of the most important figures in computing history and is often compared to what historical trailblazer? Discuss
Coconut Crabs
A hermit crab, the coconut crab is remarkable for its massive pincers as well as its sheer size—it is the world’s largest known terrestrial arthropod. Unlike most hermit crabs, coconut crabs cannot swim. Instead of gills, they possess a special organ called a branchiostegal lung, which is suited to absorb oxygen from air rather than water but must be kept moist if it is to function. Why is this type of crab popularly associated with the coconut? Discuss
French Foreign Legion Founded (1831)
The French Foreign Legion is a unit of the French Army largely composed of foreigners and commanded by French officers. It was created by King Louis Phillipe in 1831 to keep potential dissidents busy fighting for France rather than against it. Because enlistment historically required no official identification, many criminals joined under assumed names to hide their unsavory backgrounds. What are the two ways foreign-born legionnaires can earn the right to apply for French citizenship? Discuss
Pablo Martín Melitón de Sarasate y Navascués (1844)
Sarasate was a Spanish violinist and composer. He began studying the violin with his bandmaster father at age five, and at his first public concert at age eight, he impressed a wealthy patron and was sent to study in Madrid. There, Queen Isabel II gave him the Stradivarius violin that he would play for the rest of his life. He made his Paris debut in 1860 and commenced touring the world. He wrote scores of brilliant virtuoso works, some of which are still played today. Where are his violins now? Discuss
Shrunken Heads
The Shuar people of Ecuador and Peru first came to worldwide attention in the 1800s, after Westerners discovered that the group practiced head shrinking. The custom stems from the belief that severing an enemy’s head and shrinking it harnesses the person’s spirit and compels it to serve the shrinker. Though cultural restrictions limited the manufacture of shrunken heads, Western demand for the macabre artifacts prompted the Shuar to produce them in greater quantities. How does one shrink a head? Discuss
Vita Sackville-West (1892)
Sackville-West was an aristocratic English writer and gardener who married the diplomat and author Harold Nicolson in 1913. Their complicated relationship is chronicled in Portrait of a Marriage, a biography inspired by her journals and written by their son Nigel. The gardens at Sissinghurst Castle, which she designed, are among the most visited in England. However, she is perhaps best remembered for her love affair with author Virginia Woolf, which inspired which of Woolf’s novels? Discuss
The Hidden Art of Steganography
Steganography is the practice of hiding secret messages in seemingly innocuous documents such as pictures, articles, or shopping lists. The practice dates to the 5th c BCE, when early practitioners concealed information under the wax of wooden writing tablets or on the tattooed scalps of slaves. As technology evolved, so did steganography; and today, information is often hidden in computer files. Which terrorist group has been accused of using steganography to transmit secrets over the Internet? Discuss
New York Stock Exchange Is Founded (1817)
The first agreement to form a stock exchange in New York was made in 1792 by 24 brokers standing under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street. The New York Stock Exchange was formally founded 25 years later. The exchange provided capital for the industrialization of the US in the 19th century and is today the world’s largest securities market. The right to trade in the exchange can only be obtained by purchasing a seat from an existing member, and the number of seats is limited to how many? Discuss
Anselm Kiefer (1945)
One of the most prominent figures in late 20th-century neoexpressionism, Anselm Kiefer is a German painter and sculptor. In 1966, he abandoned law studies to pursue art. He studied with Joseph Beuys in the 1970s and began producing artwork that dealt starkly with taboos and dark periods in German history. His later works address mythological, classical, and biblical subjects. Kiefer’s large-scale paintings are characterized by a somber color palette and the use of what unusual materials? Discuss
Guaymí
The Guaymí are an indigenous group living primarily within the Ngöbe-Buglé region of western Panama. Spanish conquistadors found 3 Guaymí tribes—the Nata, Parita, and Urracá—after settling Panama in the 16th century. Urracá, leader of the tribe that took his name, is the most well known of the 3 tribal chiefs. Famed as a Panamanian freedom fighter, Urracá battled and defeated the Spaniards on several occasions. In what mainstream industries do members of the once-isolated Guaymí tribes now work? Discuss